Where is it?

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“One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.” — Gilbert K. Chesterton

Where is it?

Kangaroo Valley is nestled into the hinterlands by Berry along the New South Wales south coast.

Trip summary

Destination

Kangaroo Valley

Arrive by

Car

Along the way

Stop in at Berry, Kangaroo River, Hampden Bridge, and Fitzroy Falls as you leave.

Distance

Sydney to Berry is 144km. Berry to Fitzroy Falls via Kangaroo Valley is around 37km.

Travel time

Getting to Berry from Sydney takes about 2 hours. From Berry to Kangaroo Valley is about 25 minutes. The Fitzroy Falls leg is roughly 15 minutes.

Cost

Half a tank of fuel.

Route

Getting there

We started our journey to Kangaroo Valley at Berry — incidentally, our sojourn began on the return-trip from Culburra Beach.

Kangaroo Valley road, as it winds up into the hills and then down into the valley, is to say the least: picturesque. While the journey can be testing (in some parts the road narrows to a single lane), the reward for your inconvenience is the port-side view.

The terrain changes rapidly as you exit Berry. Its lush farmlands quickly replaced by gentle slopes as you ascend the hillside.

Hugging to the gulley’s walls, the winding trail unfolds in a series of grand, leaf-soaked archways; escorting you past the domain of hobby farms and stately pastures. However, it’s not long before the road breaches the height of the tree-line. At its precipice, you get a real sense of the humbling enormity of the place (and your tiny presence within it).

The view is just as impressive on the downward march. As you reach the farmlands that skirt the base of the valley, sudden changes in flora and fauna reinforce that itching feeling that you’ve ventured far into a forgotten realm.

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“Sponges grow in the ocean. That just kills me. I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be if that didn’t happen.” — Steven Wright

Where is it?

Culburra Beach is located along the eastern seaboard of New South Wales, not far from Nowra.

Trip summary

Destination

Culburra Beach

Arrive by

Car

Along the way

Take the scenic route.

Distance

191km

Travel time

3 hours if you take a bee-line for the beach without distractions (we didn’t). Off the motorways, and with several stops along the way, we clocked in around the 5-hour mark.

Cost

Half a tank of fuel.

Route

Getting there

If you choose a more scenic route and stick to the coast (as we have done), then here’s a few of the highlights you’ll see along the way:

The Royal National Park

Scarborough

Seven Mile Beach

The Royal National Park

The ‘Royal’, as it’s more colloquially known, provides a long and winding road that etches its way through the hills that skirt the coast of the national parklands, south of Sydney.

Whether it’s your first time, or whether you’ve run out of spaces to notch the trip on your belt — with approximately 30km of low-lying scrub, rich high canopy and private beaches, it’s a journey not to be missed.

If you plan to stop in the park, it’ll cost you around $11 (providing the entry booth is actually manned by staff as you arrive). Check out the National Parks & Wildlife Service website for more information.

Scarborough

Exiting the ‘Royal’ into Oxford and Stanwell Tops, take a moment to stop and admire the cliffside views. Hang-gliders regularly use the clifftops for their updrafts. So it’s a nice place to park the feet and break out the picnic blanket, while admiring the colourful ribbons that dangle in the sky like Christmas baubles.

Around the corner, along the Grand Pacific Drive, is the Sea Cliff Bridge. It winds around the Illawarra escarpment overlooking the Tasman Sea. There’s ample parking either side of the bridge, allowing you to stop and walk its length should you choose.

If you’re after a bite to eat, or a local brew, a popular stop along the clifftops is the Scarborough Hotel, in Scarborough.

Parking on a weekend can be tricky (the Hotel’s carpark fills up quickly), so we’d recommend using one of the local sidestreets and wandering up the hill. With cliffs on one side, and the mountainous escarpment behind you, it’s a great place to collapse at their wooden benches and relax. Don’t forget to try the Longboard.

Otherwise, you’re only a short jaunt from Austinmer, further to the south. Drop by one of the many cafes or resturants that overlook the beach. Or, better yet, fetch that picnic blanket and squabble with the seagulls over your greasy potatoes.

Seven Mile Beach, Gerroa

As the Grand Pacific Drive ends, you’ll have the option of turning onto the Riverside Drive at Kiama, or onto the Princes Highway. Either will get you where you want to go, but if you haven’t seen the blowhole at Kiama, this might be a detour you’ll enjoy. Depending on conditions, the blowhole can shoot jets of water into the air as high as 25 metres.

With Kiama in the rear-view, we again chose to turn off the Princes Highway and hug the familiar roads that nestle along the coastline. Doing so will bypass Berry, ushering you through towns such as Gerringong, Gerroa and Shoalhaven Heads — where you’ll meet back up with the highway at Bomaderry, just north of Nowra.

Gerringong is a small town that was developed in the 1800’s, and that history is evident in the rugged stonework of the buildings in the town’s centre. For the club-friendly, there’s 18 holes to be played right on the cliff’s edge.

Gerroa, famous for it’s Seven Mile Beach, is a great photo opportunity — particularly if you choose to overlook the beach from one of the walking tracks around its headlands. In the colder months, don a jumper before venturing out, as the unprotected breeze has a chilly bite.

Highlights

Fishing

If you haven’t brought a boat or don’t plan to hire one, there’s plenty of jetties and calm-water landings in the townships around Culburra. In particular, Crookhaven Heads, Orient Point and Greenwell Point along the Crookhaven river are all worth a look-in. For the more adventuous, there’s also a breakwall close by.

Walking

There’s an abundance of walking tracks in the Culburra area. Some local walks of mention are:

At the tip of the Crookhaven Heads penninsula, you’ll find an abandoned lighthouse (with a great viewing deck of the ocean nearby!).

At Penguin’s Head on the eastern cove of Culburra you’ll find a number of viewing decks that take in the adjacent beaches and rock pools.

Further afield, around Currarong and Beecroft Peninsula there’s also walking tracks for the seasoned boots:

Abraham’s Bosom, with its nearby secluded beach.

Honeysuckle Point, another good one for a swim.

Gosangs Tunnel, which opens onto the rock ledge around the inlet.

Mermaids Inlet, which has brilliant views of the rugged coast and sea.